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Crutchlow frustrated to miss out on home race podium

Cal Crutchlow admits he found it frustrating to narrowly miss out on a home MotoGP podium finish in last weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda

Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda, Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team, Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team
Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Third place qualifying for Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda

The LCR Honda rider spent almost the entire race at the back of the leading group of five – which became four when Marc Marquez's factory bike was forced to retire with an engine failure – but unable to find a way past the riders ahead.

Struggling in particular with his front tyre in the closing stages, Crutchlow ultimately had to settle for fourth behind Andrea Dovizioso's Ducati and the two works Yamahas of Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi.

The Briton, who took second at Silverstone last year after starting from pole, said post-race his front tyre was "finished", preventing him from attacking.

Asked by BT Sport if he felt frustrated at missing out on a podium finish on home turf, Crutchlow replied: "Yeah, because I came here to win.

"I felt good last year and I felt good all weekend. But I just didn't have it in the end. The other guys were quicker than me today.

"The front tyre was too soft for us, as always. We know if the other guys are using the hardest front tyre, we probably need to be one harder, and this is the reason we were struggling with the rear tyre in the end. We had to spin a lot to turn the bike because the front was finished.

"A home podium would have been good, so I'm disappointed. But all credit to the three guys in front.

"Dovizioso rode fantastic, I didn't think all weekend he'd be the guy to beat, I thought it would be Marc. Sure Marc was there, but he was already on the limit completely."

Despite his strong Silverstone showing, Crutchlow said he doesn't expect to be so competitive next time out at Misano, where the second works Honda of Dani Pedrosa took victory last year.

The Spanish rider could only manage seventh place at Silverstone, more than 10 seconds behind winner Dovizioso, but Crutchlow expects him to be back at the front in Italy.

"Misano's going to be completely different," Crutchlow said. "Dani never even turned up this weekend, and next [time] he'll be there fighting for the win. It's swings and roundabouts for the Hondas.

"But we did a good job today, I felt good on the bike, I did my best and fourth it was."

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